March 15, 2013

Author Spotlight with J.L. Vallance

Hey everyone! Today our Author Spotlight is shining on author J.L. Vallance! We have an interview, book blurbs, quotes and a review for you all.

Interview

Current books released: Deep Into the Soul, Revelations of the Soul

Where are you from?

I’ve lived in Northeast Ohio for most of my life. When my husband and I first married, he was in the USAF and we were stationed in San Antonio, TX for a few years.

Tell us your latest news?

Revelations of the Soul, book two of The Guild Series released at the end of February.

When and why did you begin writing?

I began writing about a year ago. For most of my life, getting my mind to shut up so that I could go to sleep has been a chore. So, I began creating these fantastical stories in my mind as a way to help me fall asleep. Every night, I’d pick up where I left off the night before. A year ago, I decided I wanted start putting things to paper.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I suppose it was when I was spending all hours of the night parked in front of my computer, typing. And constantly carrying a steno pad to jot notes on the fly.

Do you have a specific writing style?

No. I write what comes, when it comes.

How did you come up with the title?

I was having the hardest time settling on a title for the first book of the series. The book was nearing completion and I still had not landed on anything that was fitting. While I was writing Deep Into the Soul, I had been listening to Trivium a lot. They have a track titled “Black” which I have always felt is Aedan’s song. I was riding along in the car one day, singing along and doing my own guitar moves, and when I sang the words “so deep into the soul, so deep into the soul” it hit me. That’s it! That is the perfect title--Deep Into the Soul.

What books have most influenced your life most?

In high school, I absolutely loved Rebecca and Jane Eyre.

What book are you reading now?

Wuthering Frights: The Dulcie O’Neil Series by H. P. Mallory

Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?

Michelle Valentine and her Black Falcon Series. I’m also hoping to have time to break into her Demon at My Door soon.

What are your current projects?

I’m currently working on book 3 in The Guild Series, as well as a novella for the series.

If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?

I don’t think so. I absolutely love Revelations of the Soul and the direction it went.

Can you share a little of your current work with us?

Revelations of the Soul, The Guild Series II

“What do you want, Aedan?” I asked flatly, pushing the clothes on the rack.

“What is the reason for your foul mood this morning?” he asked and I could feel his eyes at my back as I continued searching through the clothing.

“Do I really need to answer that?” I replied in a heated tone.

“Why are you always so angry? I give you everything you could possibly want—good food, good wine, access to plenty of men. Yet you are still unhappy.” I looked back to him, unsure that I’d heard him correctly.

“Are you being serious right now?” My voice rose slightly as I walked closer to him. “Why am I angry? I want the fuck out of here! I am not at the fucking Hilton; I am your goddamned prisoner!”

His eyes flashed crimson momentarily as he took a slow and steadying breath. But I wasn’t finished and I wasn’t going to give him a chance to respond.

“And furthermore, I don’t want your food or your wine. And I sure as fuck don’t want your men. I want to be home with my own family, and friends, and Calum.” I pushed his chest slightly, knowing I was treading into dangerous territory. “Why don’t you let me go?”

“I see that today will not be a good day to attempt leaving the estate with you, perhaps in another week or so.” He turned and walked out the door, leaving the roses on the table. My temper flared with the sound of the lock clicking into place. I grabbed the roses from the table and hurled them as hard as I could at the door.

“Jackass!” I shouted, knowing he was already gone.

Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work? I really love Dannika Dark’s Mageri Series. Dark has a brilliant writing style. She has a way of making you feel connected to her characters, of making you emotionally vested.

Who designed the covers?

I designed both covers.

What was the hardest part of writing your book?

Deciding on the title and cover design! Once I created the world and characters, the story took on a life of it’s own. I’m not in the driver’s seat, the story is.

Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?

The English language is a tricky beast.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Write what comes, don’t force the story. And keep writing, the more you write, the better it becomes.

Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers? Thank you! Thank you for entertaining my crazy ideas and entering into my world.

How can we stay up to date with you and your books? (i.e website address, facebook page, blog link etc)

At age sixteen, Vivienne Drake’s life completely changed in one devastating moment with the murder of her mother. Now at age thirty, she continues to struggle with the aftermath of that day and the nightmares that began to haunt her following it- nightmares where she is forced to watch the torture and murder of a new victim, all while she endures their pain and terror; prisoner to her own subconscious.

Her life becomes more complicated after meeting the mysterious Calum McCort and learning of a world she’d never imagined existed; a world of Daemonium, Guardians, Lucifer, and The Guild. Not to mention Aedan, Lord of the Daemonium who’s on a mission to abduct her.

Now she’s running from demons she never knew she had, hiding from demons she never knew existed, and searching for the answers to her mother’s past to find the key to her future.

“Evangeline had prayed Spiro would be able to protect Vivienne, prayed that he’d keep her safe. The truth was, no one would be able to protect her from what was coming, and Evangeline knew that now. She knew that Vivienne was going to have to fight if she wanted to survive.”

Aedan, Lord of the Daemonium, has claimed Vivienne Drake as his prize and will stop at nothing to keep her. As his captive, Vivienne is forced to spend her days interacting with the monster that’s haunted her dreams for the past fourteen years.

Truths of her mother’s past continue to surface, bringing to light the reality of who Vivienne Drake truly is. All the while, Vivienne can do nothing but watch as the façade of the carefully constructed life her mother fashioned crumbles around her; leaving devastation in its wake.

Will secrets and lies be her ruination, or can Vivienne overcome her pain in order to become the salvation The Guild and Humanity needs?

J.L. Vallance does it again! Her words are purposefully written to draw you into Vivienne’s world, to hold you captive making you want more and more of the story. You find yourself breathing heavier and heavier from page to page in fear that the story will end and a cliff hanger will have to hold you until the next book. Seriously she loves her cliff hangers!

Book two continues Vivienne’s struggle for truth and trust. She wakes now in the Daemonium environment, surrounded by evil. She is a prisoner; her life threatened on many occasions and has no idea if she will ever be free again. She is fed information strategically, just enough to doubt her once beliefs, but through it all she seems to hold true to believe in good… until a deep betrayal changes everything!

We really start to see Vivienne grow in this book, she starts to develop her gifts and learn of the worlds she now is immersed in. I enjoyed watching this character evolve, although I did find myself getting a little annoyed with some of the choices she made. At one point she reminded me of the silly lady from horror movies…I wanted to shout at the book “NO don’t go in there what are you thinking!” I’m hoping she learned great lessons from all that happen in book two, and we see that first hand in book 3.

I did greatly enjoy the plot development, the action and continued story line. I however wished we would have learned more of the mystery. I’m at the edge of my seat waiting, yet not much was revealed or maybe there is just still so much to learn I’m not sure. I gave this book 4 out of 5, there was so much about this book I enjoyed and I have already started bugging the JL Vallance for book 3.  ~Candice, Paranormal Reads

Quotes

Deep Into the Soul:

"Anger, frustration, bitterness, and betrayal were eating at me. Adam was right, I had been broken. All I want is something to hold onto, something to have faith in. But, I always lose. In the end, I'm left alone, either by the heart shattering betrayal of someone who is supposed to care for me, or by the cold and painful reality of death, and the cold realization that nothing lasts forever."

"Hey Cal, what do you say we just torch this twat and be done with it? I've grown bored with this 'who wants the girl?' and 'fuck you' game already," Calum's friend imitated as he stood next to the car, looking every bit as bored as he claimed to be. Rhys Morgan

"So of a bitch, I'm getting tired of this demon bull shit. Fine, are you ready? Because if he is a Cruciatum and the fucker zaps me, I swear on all that is Holy, I will cause you bodily harm," I threatened, walking out of the garage, placing my things on the ground close to the house. Vivienne

"I do not believe I am meant to endure a life of nothing but pain and sorrow, Spiro. I believe I am meant to fight like hell to break free of this never-ending nightmare, to someday find paradise." Vivienne

"And I must say, your pretentiousness is rather nauseating." I knew I was playing a dangerous game, but couldn't resist the urge to poke the beast. Vivienne

Revelations of the Soul:

"Yeah, sorry for not being all Betty Bad Ass; fighting isn't exactly a requirement for jazz singers." Vivienne

"Look, she was wearing a black leather mini dress, and like, ten inch heels and fish-net stockings. Plus, it was like five in the morning. Who in the Worlds is out at that time of the morning dressed like a hooker?" She finished zipping my dress, but held onto my shoulders as she peered around to look me in the eye. "Oh, that's right...a hooker." Padma Singh

"I'm sorry, I wasn't aware that flattery was a part of Captive 101." Vivienne

"And fairy tales are make-believe. They are the tales we tell to small children to make them believe the world is a far better place than it really is." Vivienne

"I want you to make a choice about who you can trust and who you cannot. I want you to see that everybody lies. Everyone has a reason to use you. And they will, Vivienne." Linux

"He moved in rapidly, pressing his lips to mine, the world shattering around us. As he retreated, I followed, needing to taste and feel every inch of him. His hands pulled at the fabric of my dress as he pressed my body against the smooth stone of the building.

'Vivienne,' he breathed against my lips, his hands cradling my face once more."

"You can't spend all of your time sulking about a life you were never meant for." I glowered at him from across the table, fantasies of hurling the butter knife toward his shoulder dancing in my mind. Calum

"There truly isn't any other demon available?"

"Daemonium, demon sounds much too uncivilized."

"Right, you are quite the civilized species, what with your kidnapping and murdering," I muttered under my breath.

"You do something to me, Vivienne. You do something that for once, I'm not afraid of," he murmured against my lips before crushing them with his own. Calum

We would like to thank J.L. Vallance for being our spotlight Author today!

"Look, she was wearing a black leather mini dress, and like, ten inch heels and fish-net stockings. Plus, it was like five in the morning. Who in the Worlds is out at that time of the morning dressed like a hooker?" She finished zipping my dress, but held onto my shoulders as she peered around to look me in the eye. "Oh, that's right...a hooker." Padma Singh

"There truly isn't any other demon available?""Daemonium, demon sounds much too uncivilized.""Right, you are quite the civilized species, what with your kidnapping and murdering," I muttered under my breath.- Revelations of the Soul